Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-03-03
VIND[CATED!'
The Grand Jury Badly
Imposed Upon!
The Committee Reports a Com
plete and Thorough Search
of the Records and
Everything OK.
hFORhER AND UNSAV0RY OFFICIAL
At THE BOTTOM OF THE
DIRTY WORK.
The Whole Of the Evidence and the Law
In Each Case.
The Law for The Committee
The Editor OF the s'Intelligencer" {
Self Constituted Advisor
Of the Grand Jury.
Mr.. Robertson did not Act for the Stat
In the BedeIl Case.
Or the Whole. the County to be Congrat
ulated upon the Honest and Faithful
administrator Of the Criminal Law
BY Judge Robinson and Pros.
Attorney Geo. Robertson.
Buekner and Cook Both Cited Before tn
Committoe--Buckner Fails to show
Up--Cook Would Not Swear to
the statements Made in
His Paper.
Buekner and Cook Both Cited Before the
Committoe--Buckner Fails to Show
Up-Cook Would Not Swear to
the Statements Made in
His Paper.

STATE OF Missouri, In the Circuit
To the Honorable Circuit Court Of Au-
drain County:
Your committee appointed by the
order Of this court at its January
term, 1887, to investigate and ascer-
tain fully the facts connected with
the report Of the grand jury made at
said term, and report the same, re-
spectfully reports:
The report referred to your COM
mittee coming from the grand jury,
had creditable origin, and by con-
struction Of a portion of the public
press and to the non-professional
mind, WAS made to impute~ profession
al and official misfeasance on the part
OF the gentlemen named in it, and adj
dressed to the court, compelled re-
spectful attention. 1t thus became
the right and plain duty of the court
to advise itself of the facts in the
premises, and If there was reasonable
ground to believe that such official
and professional misfeasance existed
on the part Of these gentlemen, mem
bers Of the bar and officers of the
court, then to order charges to be
formulated and filed against them,
and put them upon trial therefor, as
the law directs, and IL upon such
t-:.! they be found guilty, that they
DO punished, and otherwise, if found
not guilty, then that their reputation
be indicated. To this end was your
committee raised to investigate
and report to the court the facts, SO
that the court could be properly ad-
vised as to whether such charges
should be exhibited and trial had.
The appointment of such committee
10 but the commonest exercise of an
inherent power of all courts of generr
81 Jurisdiction. to make reports as to
matters, concerning which the court
desires information.
These propositions as to courts of
general jurisdiction are fully sustain
cd by 40 unbroken line of authorl-
ties during the fast hundred years,
both English and American, as we'll
both state and federal.
In re Bowman, st. Louis Court of
Appeals, reported Sth Central Law
Journal, PIP. 25l ct seq, and cases
there cited. In re Orion Supreme
Court, Wis, N. w. R., vol. IL, PIP.
5s4-587. Bradley VS.. Fisher, 13 Wal.
r. PIP. $685.. Erparts Cole, LIST
McCrary report, PIP. 406 ct seq.
These are but examples Of the au-
thorities to be cited.
Hence we conclude it is not only
within the power Of the court to ap-
point this committee, but in the in
terest Of official and professional pur-
ity it was its duty to do 40. We con-
clude further that we have no right
TO investigate the action Of the grand
jury, or criticise ITS right or duty to
investigate and report as has been
done. We rather regard it rs COM
mendable in that body to fully and
f~earlessly investigate the official con-
duct Of all officials, and IL misconduct
or corruption be found, to bring the
offender to account. 1t must be q
cause Of qualification TO the citizens
Of the county to know that after SO
close and thorough examination,
10 we infer was made, Of the official
conduct of all the officers Of the
county nothing was found more sus-
picious than what il contained In the
report.
We have examined the record in
the cases referred to by the report OF
the grand jury, and obtained such
oatsade facts - do not appear Of re-
cord, - were within ouE reach. We
esks The matters up m the order In
vnach they appear In the report
~ The grand jury reports: